Fore'n'aft

[Hippohay]

Fore\'n\'aft

Being new to Med swells, I'd like to get some tips on mooring fore'n'aft. How's it done? Set the bow anchor and then send someone out in the dinghy with the kedge? If so, how set it? Pull it in from deck till doesn't seem to drag?
Or drop back on the bow anchor, drop kedge and motor forward?
Any advice appreciated.

 

[chrisarcher]

Re: Fore\'n\'aft

Quite a lot of the anchorages here in the Eastern Med shelve steeply away from the shore, so even with our relatively deep draught of 2.8metres we can get in quite close, so most of the time we anchor the bow first and then run a stern line back to shore - either to a suitable rock or sometimes even a tree! We always use an anti chafe sheath around the end of the rope - a length of large bore water pipe seems to work well - the the rocks can be sharp!

When this is not possible I drop both bow anchors at about a 45 degree angle to each other, run the cables out a bit, drop the stern anchor then set it with the engine - whilst winching in the bow anchors. This may seem over the top to many but as the popular anchorages get busy in the summer and the wind can back considerably overnight, space gets tight an I don't want to risk swinging into someone else! (Sometimes I wish others were as considerate)

As a final thought I also check any unfamilar areas first by dinghy & snorkelling as trying to clear a 300kg (really!) fouled anchor is no fun!

 

[davidbains]

Re: Fore\'n\'aft

In tight anchorages I have sometimes dropped a light kedge off the stern and paid out a reasonable length or warp, but then led the warp to the bow. If the wind goes round in the night we swing to it but don't move too far.
However you often have to be guided by what earlier arrivals are doing, since nearby yachts need to swing together or stay put!!

 

[steve_cronin]

I wouldn\'t recommend.....

...swinging free to one or even two anchors in a confined bay.

Even if you are the first arrival, your anchoring method doesn't set a precidence with subsequent anchorers. They will, in their numbers, park Med style, bow anchor and stern rope pulled back to a point ashore, making you look like the "elephant in the room" which will bring mutterings about "stoopeed eeengerlish" and general dis-approval. You could even get a local coastguard (powers of arrest in most of the Med) demanding that you regularise matters immediately.

Free swinging is only for deep water anchorages, the middle of the bay when all the shore is taken up with fore & aft, as above and lunch-stops.

Steve Cronin